Eric Campbell

An Australian fascist politician and leader. Campbell was a member of the Australian military which would influence the principles of his future activity. Campbell founded a right wing paramilitary group in the 1930s called the Old Guard. Its purpose was to “defend” traditional Australia during the turbulent times of the Depression. He used his experience in the military to provide paramilitary training for new recruits.

The shortly lived Old Guard collapsed a year later, evolving into the New Guard, which formed in opposition to the state government of the leftist Jack Lang. He led the group under strict military lines, organising them into ranks and uniforms. They attacked communist groups, Labour Party meetings and trained to suppress union orchestrated strikes as professionally trained strike-breakers.

Following the collapse of the New Guard, Campbell disappeared from fascist activism, active in mainly writing. He died in 1970 of cancer.